Organic nursery in Silver Lake has a growing clientele

Part of the draw is the unique range of offerings. There's a waiting list of 600 customers for the Goose Creek heirloom tomato plants and brisk demand for -- as Jimmy Williams tells it -- descendants of the mint plant Bob Marley used to brew tea on his porch in Jamaica.

Williams' help in building a garden can run from hundreds of dollars to a few thousand dollars, depending on how much the soil needs to be enhanced with ingredients such as potting soil, alfalfa and chicken manure. It's an expertise customers seem to trust.

One such customer was Nyesha Arrington, who came to the farmers market for help starting a garden at Cache, a restaurant in Venice where she is executive chef.

"They have gorgeous stuff here, and they are super-knowledgeable and personable," Arrington said.

Williams has plans to reach a broader audience. He wants to open a retail nursery. And he has an agent, an editor, a contract and a book title. It's called "Seeds to Skillet."

"I think I have a pretty good story to tell," he said.

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ron.white@latimes.com